


Promise

by xHookedonKillianx



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 14:40:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13125789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xHookedonKillianx/pseuds/xHookedonKillianx
Summary: Killian Jones, EQ’s second-best bail bonds person, has been a thorn in her side since he strutted into their offices with his stupid hair, stupid elf ears and stupid British accent. She’d hate him if she wasn’t so hopelessly crazy about him.





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise, @Rouhn! I’m your Secret Santa!! It’s been fun chatting with you the last month and I hope you enjoy your gift! Thank you to lovely @youre-not-a-cat-youre-a-rat for editing this for me! I really appreciate it <3

Emma looks around the meeting table and discreetly takes a deep breath. She doesn’t know why she’s so nervous, these are people that she’s worked with for over a year now… though it is the first time she’s been at the head of the table.

When Regina gave her the job to hand out assignments while she was away, Emma nearly choked. She’s more of a field person, tell her what needs to get done and she’ll go do it, not the type of person that tells others what to do, and when she tried to explain that to her boss, Regina acted like she didn’t even hear her and shoved the folder into her hands.

David and Graham would have been better, they had worked there longer, or maybe even Belle, she’s always been good at researching and talking nicely… definitely not Ruby, but maybe Dorothy? 

“Okay,” she calls out while pushing herself up. “I’ll make it quick. Regina is on vacation, but she’s already chosen everyone’s assignments for the week.” She hands a stack of papers to Graham and motions for him to hand them out. “She wanted me to wait until Wednesday to hand them out, but they all are pretty simple, so if you guys can get them done, you could give yourselves a long weekend.”

Her lips twitch into a small smile when the group gives her words of appreciation, but she halts as her eyes move to the end of the table when she finds Ruby giggling while Killian whispers something in her ear. 

Killian Jones, EQ’s second-best bail bonds person, has been a thorn in her side since he strutted into their offices with his stupid hair, stupid elf ears and stupid British accent. She’d hate him if she wasn’t so hopelessly crazy about him.

The all too familiar feeling of jealousy surges through her and she clears her throat.

“Another thing, Regina wanted me to remind everyone that intra-office fraternization is not something she tolerates—her words. So, uh,” she looks back down to her papers and shrugs. “There’s that.”

There’s a snort and her gaze snaps up to find Killian staring at her with a gleam in his eye.

_ Damn him. _

“Is something funny, Jones?”

He gives a smirk as his long fingers tap against the desk. He’s fallen back against his chair and she watches as he presses his tongue to the back of his teeth before shrugging.

“Not at all, I merely had a tickle in the back of my throat.”

Holding back her huff of annoyance, she dismisses everyone and sits. Truth be told, she doesn’t really know _how_ Regina feels about people getting together at work, it’s never been an issue before, that she’s aware of, but seeing him flirting with Ruby made her blood boil. 

Mary Margaret told her she should have asked Killian out when he first started, but she refused. Instead, she went about acting like his charm and tendency to be a fucking gentleman all the time didn’t render her completely useless when he was around. 

It’s just as she reaches to gather the rest of her papers that she notices movement from the corner of her eye. Her gasp of surprise falls from her lips before she can catch it and it only makes his smirk widen. Killian continues to sit at the end of the table, his hands clasped in front of him with his eyes slowly moving over her. 

“Is there a problem, Jones?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that my name wasn’t listed on the schedule for an assignment.” 

Pushing herself up from her seat, she picks up her folder and begins to walk toward the door.

“You were copied on the same e-mail I was… you know we’re working together.”

He’s in front of her before she can make it to the door and she’s able to catch her gasp before it escapes. She can smell his cologne along with a hint of his morning coffee and it makes her heart flutter.

“That I did,” he mumbles while his eyes flicker down to her lips for a quick second. 

She swallows to wet her suddenly dry throat and sucks in a stuttering breath. When she got that e-mail, she nearly fell out of her chair because she had specifically told Regina she didn’t want to work with Killian—made up a lie about her not being able to stand him. But of course her boss just waved it off and said she needed both of them.

“Then why did you ask?”

He takes another step closer and her grip tightens around the folder. 

“Just making sure we’re on the same page, love.”

Her breath hitches and not for the first time she wonders what his lips would taste like. They always look so soft—probably has to do with the fact that he’s always wetting them—and she’s spent more hours than she cares to admit dreaming of what they would feel like dragging across her skin.

Pressing her lips together, she slips on her perfectly formed mask of boredom and rolls her eyes.

“We’re on the same page. I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen.”

His eyes sparkle before he sways toward her with a whispered, “Promise?”

She blinks, her brow furrowing for a moment before she brushes past him without an answer.

* * *

As soon as Emma sits down in Killian’s car, he’s offering her a steaming, brown, paper cup.

“What’s this?”

“Just something to help with the chill.”

It’s just as they are pulling out of the parking garage that her eyes narrow.

“We can’t drink while we’re working, Jones.”

“While it’s always a charm to hear what you truly think of me,” he draws out with a huff, “There’s not a drop of rum in there.”

Pressing her lips together, she lifts the cup and takes a small sip. 

“Hot chocolate?” She gasps.

He answers by raising his eyebrows while he sips on his own cup and a wave of guilt hits her. It’s worse when she realizes that he’s put cinnamon in it. She wants to ask how he knows because they’ve never shared a morning drink together—not that he hasn’t tried, more that she’s always run out of the room whenever he entered—but she doesn’t. 

Shaking her head, she moves to grab the file from the dashboard—after she makes sure her hot chocolate is secure in its holder, because the inside of Killian’s Chevelle is scary clean. 

_ Whose car is this clean, seriously? We could probably eat off the leather! _

She would have suggested they take her car, but she didn’t feel like explaining to Killian why she has clothes piled on her front seat.

“Ryan Smith,” Emma reads off the paper. “Age thirty-two… he jumped bail after he was arrested for unpaid child support.”

Killian nods as he finishes swallowing down his hot chocolate. “My sources say he’s staying at the motel just outside of town,” he leans forward to look up at the sky through the windshield. “Should take us about fifteen minutes to get there… unless you heard something else.”

Dragging her eyes away from the paper, she gives a slight shrug before saying, “N-no. I, uh, all I got was—” she reaches for her phone and pulls up the dating app. “—he likes to troll for females via the internet, so I signed up for it. We matched up yesterday and—yeah, he’s already sent a request to send a message.”

“You _what_?”

Her gaze snaps over to find his face hard and his jaw clenched.

“What do you mean ‘ _what_ ’? You wouldn’t believe how many times this has worked out for me… you men are so easy.” She sees his hand tighten around the steering wheel and her brow furrows. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“You are aware that he’s wanted for abuse, are you not?” Her mouth falls open and he nods to the paper. “Aye, three charges.”

She looks over the page and her eyes widen.

“He broke her arm? Oh, I want to punch this guy in the face.” Picking up her phone, she taps out a message back to Ryan and smirks. “Now I’ll get my chance.”

“You’re still going to see if he’ll go for it?”

“I can take care of myself.”

There’s a beat that passes before he asks, “Promise?”

With her brow furrowed, she looks over at him in question just as her phone starts to ring.

“Hey, Mar.”

_ “Are you okay?!” _ Her friend shrieks, making her pull the phone away from her ear. _“It’s after four and you’re usually home by now and—”_

“Relax, Mar, deep breaths!” She cuts in and hears Killian chuckle from beside her. “I’m trailing a skip and everything is fine, but I’m not sure what time I’ll be home.”

Mary Margaret gives a low grumble, _“Emma, it’s almost dark… I know you can take care of yourself but it’s close to dark—”_

Rolling her eyes, she interrupts her friend again, “Would it make you feel any better if I told you I’m not alone?”

There’s a pause before she says, _“A little… it depends on who you’re with.”_

Emma fights to keeps her eyes forward and her voice straight. “It’s me and Killian.”

_ “ _ The _Killian Jones?”_

“Uh,” she clears her throat and notices from the corner of her eye Killian doing a horrible job at pretending he’s not listening. “Y-yeah, Regina thought it would be better if two were on this case.”

_ “Oh my god!”  _ Mary Margaret gasps before she lets out a tiny giggle. _“The same man you’ve been in love with since he’s started working there? Regina is a genius!”_

Keeping her voice normal, she answers, “Apparently this guy has been pretty hard to catch, so she wants us both on him.”

_ “I have a better idea… how about you just be on each other instead?” _

Her cheeks flush and she makes a mental note to kill her best friend when she gets home.

“No!”

Killian looks to her with his eyebrow raised and she shakes her head while Mary Margaret giggles in her ear.

_ “Oh, this is fun. I can say anything I want, and you can’t tell me to stop because he’s sitting right there.” _

“I don’t think that’s smart for you to do.” She all but growls.

_ “No, what would be smart is you hanging up this phone and finally climbing that fine British tree.” _

“Yeah? What does David think about you feeling that way?”

_ “David agrees with me. He says Killian likes you, too.” _

Emma picks at her jeans with a huff.

“David’s an idiot.”

_ “What does he smell like today? Is it the same as yesterday? Spice and leather?” _

Clenching her fists, she asks in a hiss, “Is there something you wanted, Mar?”

The woman lets out a full belly laugh, and Emma shakes her head. 

_ “That was fun _ ,” she sighs when she finally stops laughing. _“But, yes, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be staying at David’s tonight so don’t wait up.”_

“Okay.”

_ “Or… you could stay up if you invite Killian back to the apartment.” _

“Goodbye, Mary Margaret.”

She hears one last snicker before she hangs up the call with a sigh. If she could travel back in time, she’d go back and tell herself to _never_ tell her fairytale loving best friend about her feelings for her coworker, because she’s only going to regret it.

“Everything alright, love?” 

Killian’s voice breaks her out of her thoughts and she breathes out a nervous chuckle.

“Oh, yeah.” She stuffs her phone back in her pocket and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Mary Margaret just likes to act like my mother sometimes and I forgot to call her to let her know I was working late…”

“Mary Margaret… she’s David’s girlfriend, aye?”

Emma nods.

“Yeah, they met when I brought her to the office Christmas party last year.”

“She’s a sweet lass, I’ve met her a couple times.”

Her head snaps over toward him because she only knows of the _one_ time they’ve met, but he’s said a couple…

“When—”

“We’re here.”

Killian parks across the street from the motel and she quickly sits up. 

“How reliable is your source?”

“Smee’s good,” he assures while reaching into the back seat to pull out his camera. “He knows better than to come to me with wrong intel.”

She eyes him as he takes a few pictures of the hotel and mumbles, “Because you’re oh so scary?”

He looks back to her with a stupid, sexy smirk on his face.

“I prefer dashing rapscallion.” When she raises her eyebrow he offers, “Scoundrel?”

The smile that pulls at the corner of her lips is one she doesn’t try to fight and the way he looks over her face before turning back to the motel makes her stomach flip. They exchange information while they wait, and she can’t help but stare at his hands. He uses them a lot when he speaks—bending and stretching his fingers before gesturing wildly—and she suddenly wonders what _else_ he can do with them.

It takes her a second to realize he’s stopped talking and is staring at her.

“What?”

He blinks before tilting his head, “You alright, love?”

Swallowing back her embarrassment, she gives a forced smile and nods.

“Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?”

He eyes her for a moment, almost like he doesn’t believe her, but instead of confronting her, he motions back to the motel.

“That’s him, is it not?”

Her gaze snaps up to find Ryan Smith walking down a hall on the second floor toward a flight of stairs. Reaching for her seatbelt, she moves to get out of the car, but stops when she feels his hand grasp her arm.

“What?”

“Not just yet, Swan.” She balks and he rolls his eyes. “If this is truly where he’s staying, then you know as well as I that he mostly likely has an escape route in place. If we go rushing in there we could lose him…it’s best we form a plan first.”

“I have a plan, give him the option to come quietly and if he doesn’t take that option…punch him repeatedly until he does.” 

Killian gives a low hum.

“While the picture of you manhandling that wanker is _very_ arousing—” Her mouth falls open at the way his eyes briefly roll into the back of his head. “—I still think it best we wait… form a more reliable plan.”

Pressing her lips together, she eyes him for a moment before she lets out a small huff and falls back against her seat. 

“Fine. But I’m still punching him and you’re covering for me when I say he fell.”

“As you wish.” As Killian pulls his car onto the road, she eyes the apartment building with disgust and he offers, “Don’t worry, love. You’ll get your licks in.” 

“Promise?” She asks with a pout.

He barks out a laugh and reaches over to pat her knee.

“Aye.” Her eyes move down to his hand and he quickly pulls it away with a mumbled, “Apologies.”

An awkward silence falls between them as they head back into town and she turns to look out the window, the heat from his hand still warm on her knee. She wants to ignore it, but it lingers like it always does and she’s reminded why she’s made the rule to always stay at least five feet away from him. 

Not to mention she can’t ever think straight when he’s so close.

It’s just as he parks outside of her building that her phone beeps with another message from Ryan and she smirks.

“He just sent me a message asking to meet up for drinks on Thursday.”

“So, you’re truly going to go on a _date_ with this man?” 

Typing back a response, she shrugs, “It’s not the first time. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get a guy to let his guard down with only a low-cut dress and some flirting.”

His jaw ticks.

“Whatever you think is best.”

Turning to him with her head tilted, she asks, “Is there a problem?” When he doesn’t say anything, she gives a dry chuckle, “Do you have a _better_ idea?”

“I believe anything that doesn’t have you going out on a date with a man is a better idea, love.”

“You don’t think I can take care of myself?”

“I never said that, Emma.”

“Oh, so this is just about you criticizing the way I do my job, then, is that it?” When he doesn’t answer, her frustration gets the better of her and she asks, “Is there some part of your brain that sparks whenever I’m around that says, _‘Oi! You know what would be jolly good fun? Pissing Emma off!’_ ”

He tilts his head as his face scrunches together in curiosity. 

“Is that what I sound like?”

“You’re that cruel that instead of just ignoring something someone does that you disagree with, you decide to make off-hand remarks, why? Because you don’t like me?”

“Actually, I quite fancy you from time to time.” Her mouth falls open as he looks her way with a shrug, “When you’re not yelling at me.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She hisses, but he doesn’t answer. He just presses his lips together and turns his head away from her. “What, _now_ you have nothing to say?”

She sees his jaw tick before he ducks his head to look at something out the window.

“I’m simply allowing you to finish with telling me how worthless you believe me to be.”

Her eyes widen.

“ _That’s_ what you think this is about? That I think you’re worthless?”

A dry chuckle passes his lips as he asks, “Is that not what this is about?”

“Of course not!” She argues. “Do you really think I would have feelings for someone that I thought was worthless?”

His head snaps over to her.

“ _What_?”

She blinks, her mouth opening to repeat herself when she suddenly realizes what she’s said. Silence falls between them and her stomach flips at the way his eyes burn into her. 

_ Stupid…so fucking stupid. _

He turns his entire body toward her and her heart starts to pound.

“You have feelings for me?”

Embarrassment washes over her and she does the only thing she can think of… she runs. Reaching for the handle, she shoves the door open and jumps out, ignoring his calling her name. Six months… six _fucking_ months she’s been able to keep her feelings for him hidden away and in the heat of an argument, she lets them slip out— _fuck_.

“Emma, will you please just wait a moment.” The sound of his car door closing makes her breathe out a curse and nearly trip on a pile of snow. “Just tell me why you—bloody hell!”

She turns back just in time to see his arms flail before he falls to the ground.

“Oh my god!” She gasps and rushes to him. “Are you okay?”

Killian gives a curse as he shakes his head.

“Hey, beautiful, here I didn’t think you’d notice.”

She kneels before him and places her hand on his side, making him give a wince.

“I think you jammed your side into the bumper.”

With a breathless chuckle, he lays his head back on the ground and says, “That must be why it hurts when I laugh.”

Rolling her eyes, she pulls him by the shoulders until he’s sitting up against the car and moves his arm away.

“It’s alright, Swan.”

“You went down pretty hard,” she answers, her fingers moving to lift his shirt. “You could have bruised your ribs.”

He gives a gasp when her hand brushes against his skin and she mumbles an apology before he wraps his hand around hers. Looking up, her brow furrows when she finds him staring at her, all signs of pain gone from his face.

Sitting back on her heels, she asks, “Did you fake falling?”

Another chuckle passes his lips and he looks briefly to his lap, “I’m honored you believe me to be that smart.” She watches as he places his hand on the hood of his car and pushes up before offering his hand to help her stand. “Unfortunately, the fall was not planned—I missed the patch of ice.”

“Oh.”

Silence falls over them again and it takes her a moment to realize he’s still holding onto her hand. She _should_ pull it away, but she doesn’t, even gives a small hum when she feels him brush his thumb over her knuckles. 

“Emma—”

The embarrassment from before gone, she takes that leap of faith Mary Margaret is always talking about and cuts him off, “Do you want to come up? I could… make sure you’re not hurt.”

His eyes widen and she bites her lip. A shiver runs down her spine and she’s not sure if it’s from the cold or from the way he’s staring at her, but it’s quickly replaced with warmth when his lips spread into a wide grin.

“I would love to.”

The tension between them seems to grow the second she closes the door leading into her building and she thanks whoever is listening that Mary Margaret is spending the night at David’s. Her hands slightly shake as she pulls her keys out and she purposely keeps her eyes forward when Killian rests his shoulder on the wall beside her.

“You know,” he starts, softly. “I have feelings for you, too.”

Chuckling to hide her nervousness, she mumbles, “Is that why you flirt with every woman in the office?”

“I only do that to try and not think of you... it doesn’t work.”

The lock clicks open and she takes a deep breath.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

She can feel his gaze move over her face for a moment before he asks in a whisper, “Why didn’t you?”

_ Damn _ . 

Her eyes flicker up to his and she watches as he tilts his head, the right side of his lips tugging up, making her cheeks flush. Losing the battle with trying to hide her smile, she turns the handle and motions for him to go inside. 

Killian pushes himself forward to move past her and she lets a puff of air expel from her lungs before following him. As soon as she closes her door, she turns around and jumps back in surprise.

“Oh!”

He’s closer than she expects, and she can feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks.

“Apologies,” he murmurs, and she frowns.

“For what?”

He answers by pushing her back against the door and fusing his lips with hers. It’s only for a moment before he pulls back, his eyes wide with uncertainty. He opens his mouth, probably to apologize again, but she doesn’t allow him to. Her hands slide up his chest—the feel of his muscles under the cotton of his shirt making her almost whimper—so she can thread her fingers through his silky hair until she fists it and yanks him forward. 

Their lips meet again, and she feels his arms encircle her waist. She swallows his groan and tightens her hold on him when he lifts her, so that they’re the same height. Tasting the hot chocolate on his tongue, she moves to grip the lapels of his leather jacket, pulling and urging him to kiss her harder. 

He’s carrying her further into the loft and it’s just as her legs hit the bed that she realizes he’s mistaken Mary Margaret’s bed for hers. 

“Roommate’s bed,” she mumbles against his lips. He gives a groan in response and lifts her again, only to trip over something on the floor making her almost fall. “Upstairs.”

He nods and she grasps his hand to pull him with her, but when he wraps his arms around her from the back and sucks on her neck, her foot slips on the stairs and they fall forward.

“You okay?” He asks, but she doesn’t answer. 

Reaching behind her, she grasps his hips and moans at the feel of his hard cock pressing against her ass. 

“Your skin is so bloody soft,” he groans while his rough stubble scrapes across her jaw. “Just like I knew it would be.”

She feels him shrug his jacket off before his hands find their way under her shirt. Leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder, she gives a gasp when he pulls her bra down to tease her nipples. Her hands fumble to find the belt on his jeans and within minutes, both of her hands are braced on the railings and he’s pressing a palm on the small of her back while he enters her.

Unprepared for the fullness she feels at having him inside of her, she curses as he pauses. Their harsh pants mix together, and he rests his forehead on her shoulder blade while her head drops forward. An overwhelming feeling of disbelief washes over her and she suddenly lets go of the railing to grasp the arm he’s wrapped around her middle, almost like she’s afraid he’s going to disappear, or that she’ll soon wake up to find it all a dream. 

“I’ve got you,” he whispers against her skin, his arm tightening around her as he kisses the side of her neck. “I won’t let go.”

Lifting her head to rest back against his shoulder, she bites her bottom lip and pants, “Promise?”

She can feel his smile on her skin before he pulls his hips back only to thrust forward into her again, making her moan.

“Aye.”

It takes them a moment to find a good rhythm with the awkward angle, but there’s something so incredibly hot about them fucking on her stairs with their clothes still half on, that she doesn’t mind at all. The metal cools her hot skin and the sound of it creaking along with his grunts send shivers down her spine.

“Feel so tight around me,” he breathes out with a hard thrust. “Amazing.”

His name leaves her lips in a sigh and she arches her back to force him deeper, begging him to go faster. He answers her plea with a deep groan and she reaches forward to brace herself on the step while his right hand slides down her stomach.

When his fingers circle her clit, she gives a loud sob, “Oh, _fuck_!”

Her orgasm hits her by surprise, there’s no build up, there’s no hint of it rising, it just happens. Like a rush of waves crashing against the shore line, her pleasure drowns her in the most beautiful way and his name once again falls from her lips in a choked whisper. As she’s coming back down, she feels him drag his lips up the column of her neck up he’s nibbling on her earlobe.

“So beautiful, my love.”

A soft hum escapes the back of her throat and she’s about to turn her head to give him a kiss when he suddenly pulls out of her. Feeling empty, she attempts to look back when he grasps her hips and twists her around. His eyes are dark with lust while he rips his shirt over his head and she kicks her jeans all the way off. 

“Bloody gorgeous,” he moans as she unbuttons her shirt. “A goddess.”

Spreading her legs to him, she grabs his necklace and pulls him back in to whisper against his lips, “Worship me then.”

“As you wish.”

He slides back into her and her head falls back with a gasp. Hitching her legs around his waist, she lightly scratches her nails down his glorious chest before wrapping her arms around him. The sound of their skin slapping together, along with his whispered words of praise fill the loft and she can’t help her small smile when he reaches behind him to find her hand. He raises it above her head, his fingers intertwining hers while he captures her mouth in a searing kiss. 

“ _Emma_ ,” he groans, and then slower and louder as he rolls his hips against her nerves again.

The shaking of his arm tells her he’s close, so she lifts her hips as best she can and clenches her muscles around him. His fingers tighten around her hand and with one final thrust, his body goes rigid as he presses a hard kiss to her lips while he releases inside of her.

Killian’s breath is warm against her mouth and she finds herself smiling again when he rests his forehead against hers. No longer distracted by their activities, she starts to feel the discomfort of the stairs digging into her back and neck, but doesn’t care, because she’s just had the most euphoric experience of her entire life.

“You know,” she pants, her tongue poking out to lick her lips. “This changes _everything_.”

He gives a breathless chuckle as he presses a light kiss to the tip of her nose, before his eyes lock with hers.

“Promise?”


End file.
